Monday, April 11, 2016

Psalm for Sunday, April 17, 2016


Reflections

Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5  (Read)


"We are God's people,
the sheep of his flock."

The Psalm begins with a call for us
to 'sing joyfully to the Lord.'  That
same joyful spirit filled St Paul and
his companions when they began
their ministry to the Gentiles that 
day in Antioch. (Acts 13:14, 43-52)
And their ministry has become our 
ministry – as our psalmist says, 
we are called to 'worship the Lord 
with cries of gladness; come before 
Him with joyful song.'

But after all, we are like sheep, and 
we need someone to look after us 
so that we don't go astray.  What 
could be better than to have Jesus
as our Good Shepherd?  We are his 
lambs; we hear his voice; He knows 
us; and we follow Him.

As our psalmist says, we belong to God.
And God has given us to his Son. No one
can take us out of his hand, as Jesus tells 
us in today's Gospel. (John 10:27-30)
We are a well tended flock indeed.

As our Lord's sheep, we hear his voice, 
we follow Him, and we praise Him because,
'Good indeed is the Lord, his love endures 
forever, his faithfulness lasts through every 
generation.'

Amen


Discussion Questions for Reflection


1.  There is something comforting about being shepherded by
our Lord Jesus.  Our psalmist says we are 'the flock He tends.'
Speak of how you feel to be one of His sheep.

2.  The Psalm tells us to 'serve the Lord with gladness.'   Give an
example of how you are serving Him with a joyful spirit.

 
 

3 comments:

  1. Rudy H7:01 PM

    The psalm tells us to do several things:

    1. Shout to the LORD! Even if we cannot sing, we can all make a loud noise. We can shout, sing aloud, or make music!

    2. Do something for the LORD. We do this because God gives us joy. He makes us happy.

    3. We must come where the LORD is. We can sing to Him, or just talk to Him. He is always very near to us. He will always hear everything that we say or sing.

    4. Say thank-you to the LORD for everything. We must thank Him always, because He is always loving and kind to us.

    7. The LORD likes us to say good things about Him. When we say good things about the LORD, or bless his name, it makes Him very happy.

    Why must we do these things? “Because the LORD is good.” He is always loving and kind. He will always do what He has promised to us." THE LORD IS A GREAT GOD!

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  2. One of the definitions of "sheep," according to Merriam Webster, is "a timid defenseless creature" or "a timid docile person." I relate to this meaning as I consider the overwhelming temptations and choices that this world presents.

    How can I stay on the path with Jesus if my flesh desires to overindulge in material luxuries? How can I stay close to Jesus if I would rather sleep in sometimes, even if it means missing Mass? How can I discern right from wrong with certainty if I allow my spirit to be dulled by society's standards? The conflicts are many and the enemy is studying each of us, to see where we are weak, defenseless and docile.

    Therefore, I am overjoyed to have a shepherd who loves me enough to scoop me in His arms each time I stray. While He allows me my freedom, He also sets the boundary if I have gone too far, by striking my heart with remorse, unrest, and a lack of peace.

    Jesus is a most caring and compassionate Shepherd, as we see in many Psalms. Psalm 23 is one that I recite with my children everyday. I sometimes need to get alone and pray that prayer for myself, contemplating each word's significance. The Lord is my Shepherd indeed and, "We are His people, the sheep of His pasture." (Psalm 100 v.3)

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  3. "How do I feel about about being one of the sheep of the Good Shepherd?”

    Like the luckiest guy in the world. At 15, I was the shepherd of some 50 sheep. I was responsible for their care and maintenance. A weighty responsibility for a 15 year old!

    Now I have Jesus as “my" shepherd. I’ve got the best. This isn’t something I earned. I was picked by my parents and the good Lord Himself. I am supremely grateful.

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